All the ref's fault claims Villas-Boas

Last updated : 05 February 2012 By Paul Lagan

Andre Villas-Boas laid the blame for Chelsea's capitulation from a 3-0 lead to draw 3-3 against Manchester United at Stamford Bridge firmly at the door of referee Howard Webb.

"The first penalty was an obvious one," conceded Villas-Boas.

"I'm not sure the ref saw the second, but it was very unlucky ( for us).

"I'm not sure if he was compensating for anything in the first half," he added.

"The ref shifted the running of the game." Villas-Boas then laid into the refs who were in charge of this game and their earlier encounter at Old Trafford." In both games against United, the refs played directly into the results. We expect the top referees to be perfect in this big games.

"I think (Gary) Cahill was lucky not to be yellow carded in the first half for a foul outside the box. Maybe Webb was compensating for that in the second."

Villas-Boas did concede that his team might have had something to do with their own apparent demise.

"It was generally disappointed how it happened.

"It was a pity we did no hold on when it was 3-2 and we still could even have made it 4-3.

"We had plenty of experience on the pitch even if Terry, Lampard, Cole and Drogba were missing. We had the initiative in the first half and early in the second. But Sir Alex made attacking substitutions, they had nothing to lose so they decided to attack.

"It was a big comeback by United but that is their style and they got a draw." Asked about his own and treatment of abuse at Rio Ferdinand and Patrice Evra, Villas-Boas said:"We'll you don't expect the home side to praise the opponents, but you have to deal with and condemn it when discriminating behaviour is used."